ABILENE - Senior Mackenzie German finished her seven-shot performances against the Abilene Christian women's soccer team with the golden goal as her Texas-El Paso Miners held on to defeat the Wildcats 1-0 on a brutally hot afternoon on the field turf on Shotwell Stadium.
The temperature reached well over 100 degrees in the Big Country and water breaks were given to the teams during the mid-point of each half.
German's goal came in the 98th minute and was assisted by Bri Barreiro, who cautiously dribbled around an ACU defender near the top of the 18-yard box before slotting the ball over to her right, where German was positioned. The UTEP midfield then ran up several steps before blasting a sharp diagonal past ACU goalkeeper
Sydney Newton, who earlier tied her career high with eight saves.
The Wildcats certainly had their chances to end the match sooner as both sides finished with 13 shots. At the start of overtime , junior
Lindsey Jones had one of her three shots saved by Sarah Dilling, and then two shots (taken by
Chantal Kinsey and
Katie Lane) were blocked by the UTEP defense within the 92nd minute.
ACU also lost a goal to an offsides penalty during a first half in which both teams fired four shots. The Wildcats were called for offsides five times.
UTEP put together a flurry of shots during the early stages of the second half but could not capitalize. German had a shot saved and blocked in the 54th minute and a minute later Barreiro hit the post on a breakaway. Hannah Nicholson was then robbed by Newton at the start of the 61st minute.
Newton finished the second half with five saves, making her final stop in the 82nd minute.
And of the six shots taken by the Wildcats in the second half, only one was put on frame - Jones in the 63rd minute. Several ACU shots sailed high that period, while an attempt by
Maria Gomez in the 85th minute was blocked.
UTEP received four corner kicks in the second half and six for the match, but couldn't create a shot from any of those opportunities.
The Wildcats return to action Friday at Hardin-Simmons, where they will play host to Wayland Baptist at 4 p.m. ACU defeated the Pioneers, 2-0, last season in Plainview, Texas in the first meeting between schools.
Wayland Baptist is a NAIA school within the Sooner Athletic Conference.
